My child attends Michaela community school - ama

[Starship74]

Name Changed for this but very long time mumsnetter.

My child is three years into Michaela Community School. Since it’s so heavily discussed on mumsnet I thought I’d make a post.

I won’t be posting any confidential information but can answer generic questions.

My child was allocated a place through the random allocation. I chose it because of the outstanding academic results and was very impressed at how focussed the kids were on the open day.

There is limited engagement with the headmistress at weekly assemblies, the heads of year are generally in charge from what I’ve seen.

They are allowed smart phones and know the kids have them. Of course phones aren’t allowed out of bags on school premises but I think that’s common in many schools.

Whilst it is a strict school i don’t think it’s as strict as they make out in the press.

Things I like:

• they really push the kids academically which is important to me as I didn’t want my child to coast through
• my child does complain about how strict the school is but I’ve asked several times if they want to change school and the answer is always no as they know they are going to get a better outcome so my child has bought into it too

Things I don’t like:

• communication isn’t the best with parents, no parents evening where I have 1:1 with a teacher
• they have a policy of 4 kids in a group at break time which I think limits friendships, it’s hard to get to know other kids
• dont have an issue with the vegetarian nature of lunch but what they serve seems extremely unhealthy every day - mostly processed food

Feel free to ask any other questions!

From the school comparison tool, it looks like the vast majority of kids do the same 8 GCSEs (maths, Englishx2, sciencex2, RS, French and history or geography). Some do photography and some do a different MFL (presumably where it is first language).
www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/140862/michaela-community-school/secondary/subjects-entered

Not much choice, but very cheap and efficient for the school to run a narrow curriculum.

I'd be really interested in the other strategies.
Is there a minimum group size ? Eg are children ok to be alone ?

I agree, on both counts.
As a teacher, and a parent, I think parents' evenings are very useful.

Good question. I've not come across this "group of 4" thing before, and I wonder why they've come to that decision and what the evidence is?

As with the previous thread I am very interested in how much of the school success is down to its approach and how much it’s down to, or helped by, demographics. I am from a background that values education above almost all else and generally speaking our approach at home is that you behave in school, the teacher is an authority figure, and if they ask you to jump you ask how high. I think my culture mirrors a lot of Asian cultures, which seemed to be heavily represented at this school.

Thank you for the thread, OP.

What do they do if kids simply won't eat the food offered? Do those children simply eat nothing until home time?

I'm asking as I have a (primary age) child who is a very fussy eater and won't eat the school meals, but the school have also tightened up lunchbox guidelines so much that now he won't eat anything I send in a lunchbox. So quite often he just doesn't eat anything between 8.45 and 3pm. He and I have accepted this but the school keep bothering me about it and trying to get him to eat stuff he doesn't want to, which we find annoying.

@DancingPucamy headteacher went to visit & commented on how terrible the food was.

That's what I wonder about Michaela school. She seems like a head who is obsessed with obedience. Where's the focus on critical thinking, the opportunity to be different from others but equally valid. I never trust one-size-fits-all educational methods. And some of the rules seem so random - no talking at all in corridors - why? Only groups of four - why?

They do have an isolation room but my child has never been in it. You get several warnings / detentions I believe - or have to do something quite significant - before you are sent there.

My child has detention on average 1-2 times per week for varying reasons eg poor quiz result, not making eye contact with the teacher. During detention they do homework which then gets thrown in the bin at the end and they go home and re-do it!

They are very big on eye contact. My child never (and I mean really never!) made eye contact when speaking before starting at Michaela and within a month of starting they almost always made eye contact when speaking with me or their dad or other people.

My child has never seen a fight at school or outside the gates and shops and TFL do report kids and send cctv to the school if they see misbehaviour so if they are wearing their uniform and get caught misbehaving and it’s reported to the school they get in trouble. My child knows of another child was was given isolation as TFL reported them for fare dodging.

The corridors were not silent when I visited - there was some very very quiete chatter between some girls I passed on the steps as they were going to class.

What kind of things does he eat, and what are their rules?
(typo)

Detention for not making eye contact seems overly harsh.

To be fair some Asian schooling (in Asia) is very intense.

Same culture. Grateful for it and my upbringing, though I rebelled in my youth. Now, in my 50s, I am thankful for strict, involved parenting and a massive emphasis on education. There wasn't much navelgazing about happiness, and I am deeply grateful for that as my parents gave me the tools and the education to make my own happiness.

I don't expect the above to make sense to anyone from other cultures.

Well I quoted the wrong poster, sorry.

What's the point of throwing out the homework? Do they check it's a good standard before they throw it out?
This would really annoy me as a parent.

Surprised that so few do the three separate sciences at GCSE.

Their entry criteria for 6th form are HIGH! (and they get amazing results at the end, of course) Sixth Form Admissions Wembley | Michaela | Knowledge Is Power

So the school lunch-box rules are no nuts, egg products, cheese, chickpeas or pesto (due to allergies), no jam or unhealthy sandwich fillings and no crisps, biscuits, sweets or crackers. Snacks have to be a piece of fruit.

He used to eat carrot sticks and a jam or cheese sandwich. Now he just has the carrot sticks some days and maybe a bit of plain bread occasionally if absolutely starving. He won't eat any fruit I send at school, it just comes home untouched.

He is quite a fussy eater tbf - at home he'll eat fish (but no meat), nuts and nut butters, cheese, pasta, rice and chips, most vegetables if not overcooked, some fruit (unlike at school), pizza and a few other things. But no sauces and doesn't like food 'mixed'.

I don't have an issue with the school rules as such, even though it's not ideal that DC doesn't eat during school hours. I do have an issue with the school imposing these rules and then making a fuss about his eating in front of him. As far as I'm concerned, as a parent I offer food, then he can decide whether he wants to eat it or not, and I'd prefer that the school took the same approach.

I was just mildly curious as to what they do at Michaela about kids who won't eat what's offered given the emphasis on compliance.

Some examples of food is pizza, vegetarian Shepard’s pie, fake chicken nuggets. My child never mentions any greenery.

on occasion my child chooses not to eat and go hungry. They still have to sit at the table with the others but they are not forced to eat. There is no option to buy anything and packed lunches are not allowed except in allergy cases.

Do you need to pay for the meals?

That sounds insane to me. No eye contact means detention. I would have been fucked there as a child.

Yes, it’s approx £2.50/day and they get a morning snack also which is either a piece of fruit or eg a mini pastry. This is unhealthy in my opinion because of course a kid is going to pick the pastry!

My child actually put on quite a bit of weight in their first year then cut back on the morning snack and home snacks themselves.

At lunchtime they can take a second portion if they want to.

The food sounds horrible! Why can't they do daal, vegetables, pulaos, parathas etc.

The eye contact thing is a huge red flag and highly discriminatory against neuro diverse children.

Sounds brilliant she really knows what she’s doing well done KB if you don’t like her ethos don’t go! Eye contact is a big part of good skills as an adult

What languages do they offer?